October 2007

About 5 to 20 percent of individuals in the United States get the flu each year, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To help patients stay healthy this flu season, PAMF has scheduled its annual flu shot clinics to start in late October.

As in past years, PAMF has divided the clinics into early groups for those at highest risk of having serious complications from the flu, as well as persons with whom they have contact, and clinics open to all PAMF patients. Please see the schedule for the dates of early and later clinics at each PAMF clinic location.

The list of highest-risk patients who should attend an early flu clinic includes:

1. Highest-risk patients:

• Persons 65 years or older


• Residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities


• Patients with chronic heart or lung conditions, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure


• Patients with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney problems, cancer, chemotherapy, long-term steroid treatment, sickle-cell disease or HIV infection


• Women who are pregnant during the flu season


• Children receiving chronic aspirin therapy


• Individuals with neuro-muscular conditions (such as individuals with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injuries)

2. Healthy children 6 to 59 months of age, as well as children of any age with high-risk medical conditions

3. Household contacts of high-risk patients (including contacts of children 0 to 59 months of age) and out-of-home caregivers

4. Health care workers involved in direct patient care
2007-08 Flu Season Outlook
So far this season, flu vaccine production is on schedule, and PAMF expects to have an adequate supply of vaccine this flu season, which can begin as early as October and last as late as May, said Charles Weiss, M.D., MPH, of PAMF's Flu Shot Clinic Committee.

"Although we won't know details until later in the flu season, we have not yet experienced any problems or delays with ordering our flu vaccine supply," he said. "We remain hopeful that there will be enough supply to meet demand, and we will continue working with our colleagues and local health departments as we do each year to deliver the vaccine to our patients who need it most."

Dr. Weiss said that the challenges that PAMF experienced in delivering the flu vaccine to its patients last flu season were due to a delay in the shipment of the flu vaccine from the manufacturer and an unprecedented number of patients who attended the flu shot clinics.

"We have learned from our experiences last year and have taken measures to ensure that we can provide our patients with the flu vaccine in a more efficient, convenient manner this year," said Jenny Buchanan, senior director of clinical services at PAMF.

As in previous years, PAMF's flu shot clinics will be available to PAMF patients only, and patients will receive the traditional "killed" vaccine by injection. In accordance with state law, PAMF will also provide thimerosal-free vaccines for children age 6 to 35 months and pregnant women; all other patients will receive the traditional flu vaccine.

Pandemic Flu Update
PAMF is continuing its efforts to be fully prepared in the event of a pandemic outbreak, such as an outbreak of the bird flu in humans. This year, members of PAMF's Pandemic Flu Committee participated in a tabletop exercise to test preparedness and response to ensure the organization is optimally ready to take care of patients. Dr. Weiss said that PAMF is well prepared to participate in a pandemic response because of its experience with mass vaccination clinics and in the SARS outbreak.

Despite the continued media attention on and concern about bird flu (avian influenza), Dr. Weiss said the countries that have traditionally reported human cases of bird flu have reported fewer cases this year compared to the same time last year. He stressed that although PAMF is devoting substantial resources and taking appropriate steps to prepare for a possible pandemic flu outbreak, individuals should follow healthy habits (see "Healthy Habits During Flu Season" sidebar) to reduce the likelihood of transmission of any infectious illness.